Haas driver Esteban Ocon has addressed the wave of online abuse and death threats he received from Formula 1 fans following his collision with Franco Colapinto during the Chinese Grand Prix. The French driver characterized the harassment as the work of “keyboard warriors” while emphasizing that he personally apologized to Colapinto for the incident that he acknowledged was his fault.
The collision occurred on lap 32 when Colapinto exited the pits after his tire change, with Ocon attempting an aggressive overtaking maneuver into Turn 1 that resulted in both cars spinning. Despite recovering to finish 10th and score a point, Colapinto could have achieved a significantly better result without the contact. Race stewards issued Ocon a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision.
Speaking about the aftermath, Ocon revealed he prioritized direct communication with Colapinto over responding to online criticism. “The important thing for me was really to speak with Franco directly, to really tell him what I thought and that I was sorry about the incident, because it was my fault on that one,” Ocon explained. “And we had a good chat, everything was okay between us of course and I’m glad that he had a good race nevertheless and he still managed to score points.”
The incident highlights a troubling trend of online toxicity within the F1 community, with drivers increasingly becoming targets of extreme fan reactions. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli previously experienced similar abuse last year, temporarily closing his social media accounts after false accusations regarding his racing conduct. Despite Colapinto’s management team urging fans to remain “positive and respectful,” the harassment directed at Ocon persisted in the days following the race.